Director, Navy Business Development

Who We Are

Aptima is a technological leader in the national security industry. Our mission is to drive the future of national security by engineering scalable solutions that fuse technological innovation with human potential to transform how individuals and teams train, develop, and perform in mission-critical environments.

Our culture is rooted in our core values, which have evolved over time and our employees have embraced: Integrity, Ingenuity, Excellence, Respect, Engagement, Teamwork. At our core, Aptima researches, develops, and innovates within an area that engineering firms largely ignore, the human component. To impact the world in meaningful ways, you must bring those innovations to light, and that is precisely what we do.

How You Will Make An Impact

The Director, Navy Business Development will lead the transition of Aptima's technologies into operational use within the U.S. Navy and across the Department of War. This role will guide Aptima's Technical Operations teams, shape acquisition and transition strategies, and ensure our solutions advance from promising innovations to sustained operational capability.

You will own Service-level portfolio planning, pipeline maturation, win strategies, and strategic teaming. You will ensure alignment between customer needs and Aptima's technology roadmap, translating Navy performance imperatives into winning business outcomes. Success requires a dynamic leader who can bridge technical capabilities, operational requirements, acquisition pathways, and partnerships that matter.

This role collaborates closely with technical teams to understand existing and emerging capabilities, align them with mission needs, and shape product evolution for operational relevance and transition.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development

• Own and optimize a dynamic $75M opportunity pipeline, prioritizing pursuits based on strategic fit, p(win), and ROI.
• Monitor competitive landscape, market trends, customer budgets, and emerging requirements; adapt strategies accordingly.
• Provide leadership, mentoring, and performance oversight across all Navy pipeline opportunities.
• Identify and qualify new opportunities across Navy and joint customers.
• Support company-level growth initiatives, pipeline reviews, and forecasting with executive leadership.

Operational Customer Engagement

• Cultivate and sustain high-level relationships across the U.S. Navy, DoW acquisition organizations, PEOs, SYSCOMs, Fleet commands, and mission partners to influence program direction and position Aptima as a trusted partner.
• Identify operational customers and mission users for Aptima's technology offerings.
• Lead customer discussions, engagements, and needs analyses.
• Guide the alignment of Aptima technologies with operational requirements.
• Support development of engagement artifacts (e.g., presentations, videos, demonstrations, strategic communications).

Technology Alignment

• Partner with technical staff to align offerings with customer requirements and shape how capabilities are communicated to stakeholders.
• Influence prioritization of technical activities to ensure innovations translate into operational impact.
• Help shape product evolution, transition strategies, and value propositions to maximize relevance to Navy missions.

• Recent experience working in or closely with the U.S. Navy; preference for service or support within the last five years.
• Demonstrated success transitioning technologies into secure or operational environments, ideally within the DoW or other federal agencies.
• Significant experience in business development, capture management, and strategic planning.
• Deep understanding of DoW acquisition processes, Navy PEO/SYSCOM structures, and emerging technology and budget trends.
• Experience with AI technology development, integration, or deployment within government or defense contexts.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with proven ability to engage senior customers, partners, and end-users.
• Eligibility for a U.S. Security Clearance is required